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. 2020 Aug 27;20(1):405.
doi: 10.1186/s12887-020-02294-4.

Evaluating practioners' preferences regarding vascular emergency access in newborn infants in the delivery room: a national survey

Bianca Haase  1 , Laila Springer  2 , Christian Friedrich Poets  2
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Evaluating practioners' preferences regarding vascular emergency access in newborn infants in the delivery room: a national survey

Bianca Haase et al. BMC Pediatr. .
Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: Venous access during neonatal emergencies in the delivery room (DR) can be accomplished through an umbilical venous catheter (UVC) or an intraosseous (IO) access. Preference of one over the other is unclear. We wanted to evaluate practioners' views.

Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire was circulated to healthcare professionals with different background and experience, all working in neonatal intensive care units in Germany. The web-based survey consisted of 13 questions and data collection was performed using an online tool.

Results: We received 502 completed questionnaires, 152 (30%) were from neonatologists, the remainder from residents, fellows and neonatal nurses. For resuscitation of term newborns in the DR 61% of neonatologists vs. 53% of non-neonatologists were in favour of UVC instead of an IO as an emergency access. UVC placement was rated (very) difficult to impossible by 60% of neonatologists and 90% of non-neonatologists (p < 0.05). All respondents cited lack of experience as the main reason for feeling reluctant to place an UVC or IO access, the latter only being taken into consideration in term infants.

Conclusions: UVC placement in the DR is rated more often difficult to use by non-neonatologists than by neonatologists, apparently related to lack of experience. IO access was only considered for resuscitating term infants due to lacking practice and missing approval for birth weights < 3000 g. Frequent training might improve these clinical skills.

Keywords: Delivery room; Intraosseous access; Resuscitation; UVC placement; Venous access.

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Conflict of interest statement

BH is founder of Neotools (neotools GmbH, Erkelenz, Germany). The other authors have no conflicts to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Compares the opinion of neonatologists respectively non-neonatologists of the practicability of an UVC in an emergency setting in the delivery room (p < 0.05)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Compares the opinion of neonatologists respectively non-neonatologists on the difficulty in placing an intraosseous access in an emergency setting in the delivery room (p > 0.05). (cave: weight > 3000 g). There was no comparison between routine and emergency setting
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Compares the opinion of neonatologists respectively non-neonatologists on the difficulty in placing a UVC in the delivery room in a non-emergency setting in non-depressed preterm infants (p < 0.05)
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